PEMCO World Air Services has marked the cutting of a cargo-door opening in a passenger airframe for the first of its Boeing 737-700 Passenger-to-FlexCombi conversion programme.
PEMCO director of conversion programmes Mike Andrews said: “We are pleased with the performance of our Tampa cargo conversion team and continue to move forward developing innovative products that meet increasing customer demand for B737 conversions.”
Bahrain-based Chisholm Enterprises, a provider of aviation services in the Middle East, is the launch customer for the conversion programme.
Its subsidiary Texel Air, a non-scheduled cargo airline, will operate the B737-700 FlexCombi from Bahrain International Airport.
The FlexCombi design, which won the Freighters World Innovator of the Year award in September, provides separate main-deck compartments for passengers and cargo.
John Chisholm, owner of Chisholm Enterprises, said: “Today we have witnessed an important milestone in the development of the Flex-Combi. We look forward to certification of the aircraft next year.”
PEMCO expects to receive US Federal Aviation Administration supplemental type certification (STC) approval for its B737-700 conversion programs by the third quarter of 2018.
After the initial FAA issuance, PEMCO plans to certify the programs with the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Civil Aviation Administration of China shortly thereafter.
PEMCO intends to offer three configurations of the PEMCO B737-700, two capable of taking passengers and a third, full freighter option with a 20 tonne capacity.
PEMCO specialises in narrow-body passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversions, having developed over 70 STCs and modified over 350 aircraft.
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